The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1887-01-22

antagonism of Russia with England in
Central Asia, and the reaching out by
means of railroads to the heart of that
old Continent, Constantinople has
seemed to be the great desideratum of
all the nations who are anxious to
aggrandize their dynasty, boundary,
commerce and polity. Ever since 1852,
when Mahomet Ii. took the city, the
Christian world, or some part of it,
has been arrayed against the Moslem
world. In the effort to carve up the
territories of Turkey, and especially OF
Turkey in Africa and Europe, Russia
was on the point of taking Constanti-
nople when her armies were at San
Stefano, on the European side of the
Sea of Marmora, just below the city.
The city was saved to the Turk then by
a treaty which gave great advantage to
Russia. But this treaty was modified
by that of Berlin subsequently. This
last treaty was signed by the six
Powers. They are called the Signatory
Powers. Of course, in its consumma-
ton, Turkey lost large slices of her
territory. Still, so far as the Balkan
Peninsula is concerned, which is the
territory lying between the Egean and
the Black Seas, she has maintained
much substantial power over part of
the territory, and considerable NOM
inal power as the Suzerain of other
portions. Bulgaria recognizes Tur-
key as the Suzerain, although Bull
garia was practically torn from Turkey
by the aid of Russia. Bulgaria being 4
Slav country and having the Greek re-
ligion, of which the great patriarch is
Gar, claims the right to dictate not
only who shall be her rulers, but as to
her Government and administration.
Recently Russia has made immense
and sinister advances in the increase of
her armament and navy upon the Black
Sea. Every thing has pointed to an
advance of Russian interests and power
in the direction of Constantinople. In
other words, she is making the contest
for Central Asia on the Bosphorus. To
this end Persia has become really
Russian khanate, and Afghanistan may
he what Circassia has become.
''It is useless to prophesy about any
movements connected with this East
ern question; for is it not the unex-
pected which always happens9 Last
year, the coup d'etat of Prince Alex
ander annexed Eastern Roumelia to
Bulgaria. 1t fell upon Constantine
pie like a thunderbolt from clear sky.
1t was aimed at an asteroid, but it
struck several planets. 1t happened at
the beginning of the Beiram season.
This commences just after the season
of Ramazan, which is the Lent of the
Turk. The Beiram is the season of fes-
tivity. Then the Turk quits his fast. At
the beginning of Beiram the Sultan
receives all the civil and military func-
tlonaries. He invites all the foreign
Ministers to be present at his grand
palace of Dolma Batche. At the last
Beiram, in September, 1885, was on
my way in the American launch from
Iherapia to the palace, when a mes
senger from the Sultan stopped our
boat to say that his Majesty had post
poned the reception of the foreign
Ministers because of remarkable
event which had Just occurred. 1t was
the Bulgarian emeute, which annexed
East ROumelia. | shall never forget
the scene which occurred, for l pur-
sued my way to the vicinity of the
palace, although / did not enter the
palace. / saw the immense excitement
which Moslem muftis and gold-be-
dlzened pashas. even the most phleg-
matte Turks from the little dwarf of
the palace to the Grand Vizier, felt.
But the moderation of the Sultan
averted the catastrophe at that time.
DE restrained his people, while he dis
missed his Ministers. The Ministers
CT the great Powers were then called
together. Sir William White was then
holding the place of English Minister.
He has within a few days returned
again to that post. But the question
returns; for Russia was lying in wait
for the opportunity to disposscss the
Prince who would not obey her be-
hests; and when some months ago that
Prince was seized by Russian ennis \
saries and transported beyond the bor-
der new crisis came upon the affairs
of Turkey and of Bulgaria. E
england has not much trading or
political interest in the Bulgarian
question; but still it is her interest,
with her 100000 of Mohammedans
in her Indian Empire, to keep the good
will of the head of Islam, which is the
Sultan. Besides, does she not contest
in the Balkans with Russia, and upon
the contest depends her Asiatic pres
tige and sway over 200, 600, 900 of peo-
pie. When the Gar, at the launching
OF one OF his great vessels at Odessa,
upon the Black Sea, not long since an
nounced the resurrection of the Russian
navy upon that sea, and when the mayor
of Moscow. in presenting an address to
Gar. shortly after, prophesied that the
Russian flag would soon float over the
dome of st. Sophia, the temple of
Byzantine Christendom, it was sus-
picious notice and warning to all the
world that the dreams of conquest in
dulgcd by Peter the Great and Catha-
zine II, > had not been dissipated in the
brain Of the Great White Gar. IN
Z. Mail and Cypress. KF s. q ri .sl
Certainly there is no accounting
for tastes. Did you ever suppose any
human stomach could crave currants
and milk, or that nature was so per-
yerted as to eat grapes dipped in milk,
or as ordinary mankind partakes of
and raspberries combined
with the tactical fluidp 1t can be done,
however, and the person who has this
eccentric appetite-all to herself, let